1862 – At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside in a decisive loss for the Union army (More info)

1918 – President Woodrow Wilson makes the first official visit to Europe by a US president (More info)

2000 – Vice President Al Gore reluctantly concedes defeat to Texas Governor George W. Bush in his bid for the presidency, following weeks of legal battles over the recounting of votes in Florida (More info)

2003 – After spending nine months on the run, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit (More info)